Fish stringer



' Oct. 9, 1934. L R, PLASTERSV 1,975,864

l FISH STRINGER Filed April 1e, 1932 am WA TTU/way Patentecl Oct. 9,1934 Ui'i,a STATES investi .PATENT OFFECE 7 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in iish stringers. Y

One oi the objects of my invention is to provide a sh stringer with anovel Stringing line. A

further object is the provision of a novel .sh holder, which wilI permitthe easy and' quick impaling of a -sh thereon and which will securelyhold the sh so impaled.

Still another object of my invention is the pro- 10 vision of'a novel shholding device which can be mounted upon or removed -:from a stringingline at a point intermediate of the ends of the line and without havingthe ends of the line -ree during such mounting orremoval.

A My invention provides further a shstringer which is simple, strong,cheap to make, durable, not likely to get out of order and Awhich Willsecurely hold the rsh. thereon. f f

The novel features of my invention are hereinj after fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates my invention,

Fig. 1 is a side View of one form of my improved fish Stringing line,partly broken away.

'25 Fig. 2 is a plan view of one form of my mproved sh holding device,the iish holding member being Shown in the closed position.

Fig. 3 is a similar View of the fish holding member detached from thetubular line engaging member, and shown in the open position.

Fig. 4 is a section, enlarged, on the line 4?.-.4 or Fig. 2. i

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on'the'line V5 5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. v6 isa View ofthe removal end portion of the Stringing line, shownin the holding position.

Fig. 7 is a Vview similar to Fig. 6, with the pivoted member at the endof; thepstringing line shown in the sh removing position, the lockingmember being'shown partly removed.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. '7, the locking member'being removed.

Fig.'9 is one perspective view of the tubular locking member shown inFigs. 7 and 8.

Fig. 10 isA another perspective view of .the locking member shown inFig. 9.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged section on the line 11-11 ofFigl.,

Fig. 12 is an enlarged section on the line 12--12 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 13 is a side elevation of a portion of the Stringing' line, shownin Fig. 1, and of the sh holding device shown partly mounted on theline. Fig. 14 is a side view 'showing a modification in which a portion,of the een holding device .shown in longitudinal Section and mounted onthe stringing line, a portion only of which is shown.l

Fig. 15 is a section on the line 15-15 of Fig. 14.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts in the differentviews.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 13, the fish Stringing line comprises a portion1, Fig. 1, adapted to be connected to a stake or other anchoring device,not shown, anotherend portion 2 on which the sh are' adapted to bestrung, and an intermediate 65 portion 3 connecting the portions l and2.

The connecting portion 3 comprises a relatively thin plate pivoted atone end to a staple 4 in the adjacent end of theY portion 2, andadjacent toy its other end having a hole 5, Fig. 8, through whichextends the adjacent end portion of the portion 1 of the Stringingline.'

I For releasably holding the iish on the fish Stringing line, and forpermitting them to be removed therefrom, as will be described later, thefree end of the portion 2 has a staple 6 to which is pivoted a stopplate 7, similar to the plate 3, and having at its opposite edges twoanges 8 which curve toward Veach other, and between which is adapted toenter one end of a tube 9, which is longitudinally slidable onto and oiTVfrom the'portion 2, when the stop plate 7 is ,swung to the right angledposition shown in Fig. 7.

To enable the tube 9 to slide over the pivoted end of the stop plate '7,the tube 9 has two opposite disposed longitudinal slots 10 and 11, theslot 10 extending the full length of the tube 9, so as to permit thetube to slide onto and oir" from 'the plate '7, when the latter is inthe angular position, shown in Fig. 7. When the tube 9 is in the lockingposition shown in Fig. l, the opposite edges of the plate 7 respectivelyenter the slots 10 and 11, and the ilanges 8 hold the plate '7 fromturning on the staple 6.

For Stringing sh on the Stringing line, there may be provided aplurality oi sh holding devices, which are alike, and one of which isshown and described. n

A transversely divided loop like fish holding member 12, Figs. 2, 3 and13, the body of which is, preferably, a spring wire, has at one end aspear likehead 13 which forms an impaling portion for passing throughthe lips of a iish. The other free end portion is provided with an out-105 wardly facing Vchannel portion 14 adapted to re oeive the spear headportion 13.V The side walls of the channel portion 14 are respectivelypro.- vided with inwardly extending projections 15 adapted to engage thespear head 13, as shown in 110 Figs. 2 and 5, to hold the spear head endfrom pulling lengthwise from the channel portion 14.

To disengage the spear head portion 13 from the channel portion 14, toengage a fish or to remove it from the iish holding member, the portionof the latter provided with the channel portion lll is inwardlydepressible to the position shown in dotted lines in 13. Ey facing thechannel portion 111 outwardly and having it inwardly depressible, thechannel portion can be depressed without having the hand which depressestouch the fish, while, if the channel portion faced inwardly, as in asafety pin, the spear head end, which carries the ish would have to bedepressed, and the hand which effected the depressing would have tocontact with the sh hel on such end portion of the iish holding member.

To releasably hold the channel portion 14 from being accidentallydepressed so as to possibly permit the iish to disengage the nsh holdingmember 12, there is provided a locking member whichv is movable to and aposition over the channel portion le and the head portion 13. Suchlooking member, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, fl, 5 and 13, comprises a tube15, 'which is longitudinally slidable to and from a position in which itcovers the spear 13, as in 2, 5 and 13.

The outer end ci the channel portion lll has at its opposite sides twooutwardly daring iianges 16 which serve as a stop limiting the outwardmovement oi the tube 15. inner end oi the channel portion 14 has aprojection 1'! which limits the inner movement of the tube 15, Figs. 5

and 13.

To release the channel portion 14 from the spear head portion 13, thetube 15 is slipped inwardly to the release position shown in Fig. 3,after which `the channel portion 1/1 is depressed inwardly to theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 13. The tube 15 snugly thechannel portion 1li so as to be reliably held in the position to whichit is adjusted.

Either of the flanges 16 may also be employed to hold depressed thechannel portion le, so as to leave both hands free for impaling a fish.By depressing the channel portion 14 further than is shown in dottedlines in Fig. 13 and to a position in which the flanges 15 will be atthe outer side of the opposite portion of the wire 12, and thenpermitting the resilient portion having the channel portion lll, torelai; in contact with said opposite portionthe latter will strike theabrupt angled inner end of the adjacent flange 16, which provides anotch adapted to receive and releasably hold the channel portion 14depressed.

The end of the holder 12 distant from the spear head portion 13 is ringshaped to provide greater resiliency and also to serve as a nger holdwhen fastening or unastening the channel portion 14,

said ring portion being designated by 18.

vt-uoe 21 to be slipped oli from the plate 7 when the latter is in theangular position shown in Fig. '7, the tube 9 havinfI been removed fromthe Stringing line.

In Stringing a'iish, the channel portion 14 is depressed, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 13, the tube 15 having been slid to the releaseposition, shown in Fig. 3. The spear head portion 13 is then insertedthrough the lips of the nsh, or other parts thereof, after which thechannel portion 14 is permitted to again engage the portion 13, and thetube 15 is slipped to the locking position, shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 13.

The plate 3 is then turned 'to the angular position shown in Figs. 8 and13, aiter which the tube 21 is slipped over the plate 3 and onto theportion 2, and thence downwardly to the locking tube 9. To remove theholder 12 and its support, the tube 21, together with the fish held bythe holder, the tube 9 is removed in the marmer already described, andthe plate 7 is turned to the angular position, when the tube 21 may beslid from the Stringer line over the plate 7.

In Vthe modification, shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the parts 1 and 2',corresponding to the parts 1 and 2 of the other form, are connected by awire or rod 3 which is longer than the tube 21 Iand is less in diameterthan the width of the slot 22 of said tube. The tube 21, with its holder12 may be attached to the portions Y1' or 2 by slipping the wire or rod3 through the slot 22 and then sliding the tube onto either portion ofthe stringer line, preferably onto the portion 2", the free end or"which is equipped with the plate and tube 9, the same as are provided onthe free end of the portion 2.

I do not limit my invention to the structures shown and described, asmany modifications, other than shown and within the scope of theappended claims, may be made without depart-'- ing from the spirit of myinvention.

What I claim ist- 1. In a sh stringer, a stringingline comprising twoportions and an intermediate connecting portion, a member slidable onone of said two portions and having a longitudinal slot extending itsfull length or" less width than the diameter oi said two portions and ofgreater width than the thickness of said connecting portion, the latterbeing insertible through said slot into said member to a position inwhich said member will aline with and be slidable onto and off from saidone of said two portions, and means for releasably attaching a sh tosaid member.

2. In a sh Stringer, a Stringing line comprising two end portions and anintermediate portion exibly connecting said two end portions, wherebyone of said end portions may be swung from a position alining with theother end portion to a position at an angle thereto, a tubular memberslidable upon one of said end members and having a longitudinal slotextending its full length of lesswidth than the diameter of said endportions and of greater width than the thickness of said connectingportion for a portion of theA length of the latter, said member havinggreater length than said portion of the length of said connectingportion, and sliolable lengthwise onto and orf from one of said endportions when the other end portion is swung to said angular position,and means for releasably attaching a ish to said member.

3. In a iish Stringer, a Stringing linecomprising two end portions andan intermediate portion connecting said end portions and pivoted to oneof said end portions so as to be swung from a position alined therewithto a position at an angle thereto, and having a portion of its length ofless thickness than the diameter of said end` portions, a tubular memberlongitudinally slid- .'r

able on said end portion to which said connecting portion is pivoted,and having a longitudinal slot extending its full length of less widththan the diameter of the end portion on which it is slidable and ofgreater width than the thickness of said connecting portion, wherebywhen the connecting portion is in the angular position, the said membermay be slid over the connecting portion onto the portion to which it ispivoted, and means for releasably attaching a sh to Said member.

e. In a iish Stringer a Stringing line having attached to one end ahinge member, a second hinge member pivoted to said rst named hingemember so as to be swung from an alined position therewith to a positionat an angle thereto, a tubular member slidable on said Stringing lineand upon said rst named hinge member and having a longitudinal Slotextending its full lengthei less width than the diameter of saidstringing line and said rst named hinge member and of greater width thanthe portion of said second hinge member outside of and next to saidiirst named hinge member, whereby, when Said Second hinge member iS inthe angular position, said tubular member may be slid thereover ontosaid first named hinge member, said second named hinge member havingmeans for holding said tubular member from sliding therefrom when thesecond named hinge member is in the alined position, and means forreleasably attaching a sh to said tubular member. y

5. In a fish Stringer, a stringing line having intermediate of its endsa portion of less thickness than the adjacent portions of the line, atubular member longitudinally slidable on said line and having a slotextending the full length of said member of a width greater than thethickness of said intermediate portion said Slot having less width thanSaid adjacent portions, whereby by passing said intermediate portionthrough said slot, said member may be slipped onto or off from saidline, and means for releasably attaching a fish to said member.

6. In a iish Stringer, a transversely divided loop like fish holdingmember having two free end portions one of which is adapted to impale afish, its other free end portion being resilient and being depressibleto a position in which a part of it will be at the outer Side of theopposite portion of said loop like member, Said part having an abruptangled notch adapted to receive and releasably lockingly engage saidopposite portion and hold said resilient portion depressed.

7. In a sh Stringer, a transversely divided loop like sh holding memberhaving two free end portions one of which iS adapted to impale a iish,its other free end portion being resilient and having a channel portionadapted when said resilient portion is relaxed to receive said impalingportion, said resilient portion being depressible to a position in whicha part of it will be at the outer Side of the opposite portion of saidloop like member, said part having an outwardly laterally extendingflange provided with an abrupt angled inner end adapted to engage theouter Side of said opposite portion and releasably hold said resilientportion depressed.

JAMES R. PLASTERS.

